APRIL 20, 2014

Lotus bullied over budget cap axe says Lopez

Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez on Sunday indicated he was unhappy to have joined the opposition against the introduction of budget caps.

The powerful 'Strategy Group' teams - comprising the 'big four' Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren but also Williams and Lotus - recently wrote to Jean Todt indicating they would not approve the FIA president's cap proposal.

Williams is included in the group due to the team's past success and history, while Lotus is also a member after finishing the 2013 season in fourth place.

But Lopez hinted to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport that the two smaller teams were bullied into signing the letter.

"Williams and us were pulled over the table," he is quoted as saying.

The biggest teams, however, argue not only that the proposed $200 million cap would not help their small rivals, but that it could not even be effectively policed.

And Mercedes' Toto Wolff is quoted on Sunday: "It makes no sense to introduce rules that are not supported by the three major teams."

The big teams' counter-proposal is for cost cuts to be achieved by introducing some new technical and sporting regulations.